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Leaf-miner: Large blotch mine, often with several larvae, beginning with a short deeper corridor at a single egg shell on the surface of the leaf. The broad deep corridor later ends in a blotch but can be recognised (beneath the blotch) by its greater depth. Mine predominantly dorsal or ventral, greenish in transmitted light. Frass grains irregularly scattered except in the initial corridor.

Blotch, mostly occupying almos the entire leaf, containing several larvae. Much, half-deliquescent, greenish-black frass. At the start of the mine at the leaf underside a group of some 5 elliptic egg shells, parallel to each other. However, the larvae can leave their mine and restart elsewhere, so mines without egg shells can occur as well. The larvae do not penetrate into the stem of the plant, neither is the mine full depth (compare Delia species) (Bladmineerders van Europa). Mine indistinguishable from P. exilis or P. hyoscyami (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Makes a large upper surface whitish blotch, which can contain several larvae. The frass has a washed out appearance and is greenish. There may be several mines on a leaf and eventually the leaf will be mined and then shrivel up. To identify this miner adults must be reared (British leafminers).

Larva: The larvae of flies are leg-less maggots without a head capsule (see examples). They never have thoracic or abdominal legs. They do not have chewing mouthparts, although they do have a characteristic cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton (see examples), usually visible internally through the body wall.

The eggs and larvae are described d'Aguilar and Missonier (1957 and 1962). The larva is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa. Larva with bud-like posterior spiracles.

Puparium: The puparia of flies are formed within the hardened last larval skin or puparium and as a result sheaths enclosing head appendages, wings and legs are not visible externally (see examples).

The adult is ilustrated in the Encyclopedia of Life.

Comments: According to Michelsen (1980) hyoscyami is reliably recorded only from Beta and Chenopodium, Hyoscyamus and Silene. Any earlier records should be regarded as unsubstantiated. Pegomya exilis and Pegomya cunicularia were distinguished from Pegomya betae and Pegomya hyoscyami by Michelsen (1980). Material of both [the former species] had previously been assigned to those [two latter] species (Chandler, pers. comm.).

Chenopodium ambrosioides is treated as Dysphania ambrosioides (Mexican-tea) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Caryophyllaceae
Silene	maritima	Sea Campion		Bland, 1992
Silene	vulgaris	Bladder Campion		Robbins, 1991: 34
Silene	vulgaris	Bladder Campion		British leafminers
Chenopodiaceae
Atriplex				Robbins, 1991: 36
Atriplex	glabriuscula	Babington's Orache		Bland, 1994
Beta	vulgaris	Beet		Mike Ackland, pers. comm.
Beta	vulgaris	Beet		British leafminers
Chenopodium				Robbins, 1991: 36
Chenopodium	album	Fat Hen		British leafminers
Chenopodium	polyspermum	Many-seeded Goosefoot		Pitkin & Plant
Chenopodium	urbicum	City Goosefoot		British leafminers
Spinacia	oleracea	Spinach		British leafminers
Solanaceae
Hyoscyamus	niger	Stinking Nightshade		British leafminers
? Solanum				Pitkin & Plant
? Solanum	dulcamara	Bittersweet / Woody Nightshade		Robbins, 1991: 98

Hosts elsewhere:

Caryophyllaceae
Silene				Michelsen, 1980
Silene	vulgaris	Bladder Campion		Bladmineerders van Europa
Silene	vulgaris subsp. vulgaris	Bladder Campion		Bladmineerders van Europa, as Silene cucubalus
Chenopodiaceae
Atriplex	glabriuscula	Babington's Orache		Bladmineerders van Europa
Atriplex	hastata	Spear-leaved Orache		Bladmineerders van Europa
Atriplex	nitens			Bladmineerders van Europa
Atriplex	patula	Common Orache		Bladmineerders van Europa
Beta				Michelsen, 1980
Beta	trigyna	Caucasian Beet		Bladmineerders van Europa
Beta	vulgaris	Beet		Griffiths, 1982
Beta	vulgaris subsp. maritima	Sea Beet		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium				Michelsen, 1980
Chenopodium	album	Fat-hen		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	ambrosioides	Mexican-tea		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	bonus-henricus	Good-King-Henry		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	foliosum	Strawberry Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	glaucum	Oak-leaved Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	hybridum	Maple-leaved Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	murale	Nettle-leaved Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	opulifolium	Grey Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	polyspermum	Many-seeded Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	quinoa	Quinoa		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	rubrum	Red Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	urbicum	Upright Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium	vulvaria	Stinking Goosefoot		Bladmineerders van Europa
Spinacia	oleracea	Spinach		Griffiths, 1982
Spinacia	oleracea	Spinach		Bladmineerders van Europa
Solanaceae
Atropa	belladonna	Deadly Nightshade		Griffiths, 1982
Atropa	belladona	Deadly Nightshade		Bladmineerders van Europa
Datura	aegyptiaca			Bladmineerders van Europa
Datura	metel			Bladmineerders van Europa
Datura	metel			Griffiths, 1982
Datura	quercifolia			Bladmineerders van Europa
Datura	stramonium	Thorn-apple		Bladmineerders van Europa
Datura	stramonium	Thorn-apple		Bladmineerders van Europa, as Datura inermis
Datura	tatulaf			Bladmineerders van Europa
Hyoscyamus				Michelsen, 1980
Hyoscyamus	afureus			Bladmineerders van Europa
Hyoscyamus	albus	White Henbane		Bladmineerders van Europa
Hyoscyamus	niger	Henbane		Bladmineerders van Europa
Lycium	afrum			Bladmineerders van Europa
Scopolia	carniolica	Scopolia		Bladmineerders van Europa
Solanum	dulcamara	Bittersweet / Woody Nightshade		Bladmineerders van Europa
Solanum	nigrum	Black Nightshade		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - mines: June-September.

Time of year - adults: August.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Inner Hebrides (Isle of Coll) (Bland, 1992), Warwickshire (Coventry and Chadwick End) (Robbins, 1991), Berkshire, Dorset, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Main Argyll, Mid Ebudes, North Somerset, North-east Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, South Lancashire, South-west Yorkshire, Surrey, West Cornwall and Wigtownshire (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including The Netherlands (Bladmineerders van Europa), Andorra, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Norwegian mainland, Russia - Northwest, Spanish mainland and Sweden (Michelsen in Fauna Europaea).

Also recorded in the East Palaearctic (Michelsen in Fauna Europaea) and North America (Griffiths, 1982).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: